Ellen DeGeneres Might End Her Talk Show Sooner Than You Think

We don't want to alarm you, but Ellen DeGeneres has considered ending her beloved long-running daytime talk show. This idea isn't just something that popped into her head once when she was having a bad day, either; it's a decision she still thinks about often.

In a recent New York Times profile, the comedian shared that she had the option of extending her contract not too long ago. Before signing it, she wavered for a bit and "had been close to declining." Instead she decided to keep the show going until the summer of 2020—but after that, who knows?

According the piece, "On the question of leaving, she changes her mind all the time. Her brother has been an advocate for staying on, making the case that in the age of Trump, the country needs her positive, unifying voice on television every day." Ellen's wife, Portia de Rossi, however, has a different take. "I just think she's such a brilliant actress and standup that it doesn't have to be this talk show for her creativity,” de Rossi says in the piece. “There are other things she could tackle.”

As much as I'd love to keep The Ellen DeGeneres Show on the air, De Rossi has a point. Ellen announced earlier this month that Netflix will release her stand-up special Relatable on December 18, her first special in 15 years.

But taking on new projects doesn't mean the show has to end. It's been running for 15 years, amassing 50 Daytime Emmy nominations and 39 wins. What would the world be like without Ellen's pranks and dances? Who else would brighten our day by giving their audience members $1 million just because? Let's hope we don't have to think about that anytime soon or revisit this conversation after 2020.